He could be intelligent. He might be productive. But he’s still just a primate with a powertool.

Coffee on the Trail

I’ll admit that I’m pretty much a coffee addict. I love a couple cups in the morning, and on cold mornings it practically transcendent. My go-to coffee solution has been Starbucks Via packets. While I’d prefer a french press, I don’t want to deal with that on the trail. Via packets taste (not great, but) good enough to make me happy. They are super simple and readily available at many grocery stores. Just dump into hot water and go. There are other instant coffee products out there, but the Via Italian Roast are the best of what I’ve tried.

Now it looks like there’s a new option out there: Little Red Wagon Geo. I know there are other pour over solutions, but this seems simple enough that I am willing to try it. The product page lacks a bit of information, but I emailed them to get additional details, and they were quick to respond. When you order, you need to specify which of their current coffee offerings you wish to have. They will pack up your fresh coffee and ship it out to you. Now, here’s the question I thought was particularly important for backpackers: are they biodegradable? The outer Geo packaging is aluminum foil, much like the Starbucks Via packets, so that would have to be packed out. The filter and supports are paper based, so they could be burned or buried in a cat-hole along with your morning constitutional. There is some question about biodegradability of the filters, as they contain a component that allows them to be heat sealed. I may test a couple of these in my backyard compost pile, but it sounds like burning might be the best non-pack-out option for now.